Letter 3: While news of our colleague's fate was still reaching us in fragments, dear brothers, and I was uncertain what to...

While news of our colleague's fate was still reaching us in fragments, dear brothers, and I was uncertain what to make of the various reports, your letter arrived — delivered by Crementius the sub-deacon — and gave me the full account. I was filled with joy. His end was worthy of the life he lived: an honorable death crowning an honorable ministry. I congratulate you for honoring his memory with such a public and distinguished tribute. Through you I learn not only what brings glory to you in your bishop's memory, but what ought to serve as a pattern of faith and courage for the rest of us. When a bishop gives way, his people fall with him. When a bishop holds firm, he becomes a model for his brothers. There was also a second letter among the papers — one in which neither the author nor the intended recipients were clearly identified. The handwriting, the subject matter, and the condition of the document itself suggested that something had been removed or tampered with. I'm returning it to you exactly as I received it, so you can verify whether it matches what you sent. This is not a small matter: if a bishop's correspondence is being altered or intercepted, we need to establish the facts. Please let me know.

Epistle 3